Positive airway pressure therapy management module

• US 20050188991A1
• Filed: 12/20/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Curative medical technology (suzhou) ltd. (ResMed Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Jianguo Sun
• Inventors: Sun, Jianuo, Miles, Laughton E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,717,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/204.230
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0633 with forehead support
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0021 with a proportional output signal, e.g. from a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0039 in the inspiratory circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/04 Heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/205 partial oxygen pressure (P-O2)
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/40 Respiratory characteristics

Abstract

A positive airway pressure therapy management module includes a user interface, a controller and memory. The module may include ports that capture data from a PAP device and/or from sensors. The user interface may display information and questions, and may receive answers. The controller may store data while offline from the network, and may respond to requests over the network while online with the network. A software product includes instructions that, under control of a computer, perform steps for managing positive airway pressure therapy of a patient. A method for managing positive airway pressure therapy of a patient captures data and communicates the data over a network. The method may capture data from a PAP device and/or from sensors, display questions and receiving answers, and calculate indices and/or metrics, perform a pressure titration, and/or relay commands to a PAP device in response to commands from the network.

Claims

1. A positive airway pressure therapy management module, comprising:

a user interface for capturing prompted data;

a controller for processing the prompted data and for communicating the prompted data as positive airway pressure therapy data over a network; and

memory for storing the prompted data.

2. The module of claim 1, further comprising a data port for capturing data from a PAP device as PAP device data, the controller configured for processing the PAP device data and for communicating the PAP device data and the prompted data as positive airway pressure therapy data over the network.

3. The module of claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured to display information and questions, and to receive answers, as prompted data.

4. The module of claim 1, wherein the controller stores the positive airway pressure therapy data while offline from the network, and wherein, when the controller is online with the network, the controller responds to a request over the network to communicate stored positive airway pressure therapy data over the network.

5. The module of claim 1, wherein the controller communicates the positive airway pressure therapy data in real time over the network.

6. The module of claim 1, the controller comprising firmware that is upgradeable over the network.

7. The module of claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensor configured to provide airway pressure data of a patient, the controller processing the prompted data and the airway pressure data as the positive airway pressure therapy data.

8. The module of claim 1, further comprising one or more additional ports for interfacing with one or more additional sensors providing sensor data of a patient, the controller processing the prompted data and the sensor data as the positive airway pressure therapy data.

9. The module of claim 8, wherein at least one of the one or more additional sensors comprises one of a pressure sensor, a flow sensor, an EKG sensor, a SpO2 sensor, a respiration effort sensor and a snore sensor.

10. The module of claim 1, the controller configured to calculate one or more of an Apnea Hypopnea Index, a Respiratory Disorder Index, a patient compliance metric, and a partial upper airway obstruction metric as positive airway pressure therapy data.

11. The module of claim 1, the controller configured to perform a pressure titration using the PAP device.

12. The module of claim 11, the controller responsive to commands from the network to initiate performance of the pressure titration.

13. The module of claim 1, the controller configured to apply expert system analysis to the positive airway pressure therapy data to diagnose occurrence of mask leaks, and to display an indication of mask leak occurrence through the user interface.

14. The module of claim 1, the controller being responsive to signals over the network to relay commands to the PAP device.

15. A system for managing positive airway pressure therapy of a patient, comprising:

a PAP device; and

a management module for capturing and storing at least one of PAP device data from the PAP device, and prompted data, as positive airway pressure therapy data;

the management module configured for communicating the positive airway pressure therapy data over a network.

16. A software product comprising instructions, stored on computer-readable media, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, perform steps for managing positive airway pressure therapy of a patient, comprising:

instructions for capturing PAP device data from a PAP device;

instructions for operating a user interface to present information and to capture responses as prompted data;

instructions for storing data in memory and retrieving data from memory; and

instructions for communicating PAP device data and prompted data over a network.

17. The software product of claim 16, further comprising instructions for capturing sensor data from one or more sensors.

18. The software product of claim 16, further comprising instructions for calculating one or more of an Apnea Hypopnea Index, a Respiratory Disorder Index, and a pressure titration.

19. A method for managing positive airway pressure therapy of a patient, comprising

capturing data through a user interface as prompted data;

and

communicating the prompted data as positive airway pressure data over a network.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising

capturing data from a PAP device as PAP device data;

and

communicating the PAP device data as positive airway pressure data over the network.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising

storing at least one of the PAP device data and the prompted data as stored positive airway pressure therapy data, and

communicating the stored positive airway pressure therapy data over the network when the controller is online with the network.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein capturing prompted data through a user interface comprises displaying questions and receiving answers.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying information through the user interface, the information comprising at least one of information relating to the positive airway pressure therapy, instructions for utilizing a PAP device and suggestions for utilizing the PAP device.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of communicating the positive airway pressure therapy data over the network occurs in response to a query from the network.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising capturing sensor data from one or more sensors connected to the patient.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of capturing sensor data from one or more sensors connected to the patient comprises one or more of:

capturing airway pressure sensor data;

capturing flow sensor data;

capturing EKG sensor data;

capturing SpO2 sensor data;

capturing respiration effort sensor data; and

capturing snore sensor data.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising calculating, in response to a command from the network, one or more of an Apnea Hypopnea Index, a Respiratory Disorder Index, a patient compliance metric, and a partial upper airway obstruction metric.

28. The method of claim 19, further comprising performing a pressure titration in response to a command from the network.

29. The method of claim 19, further comprising relaying commands to a PAP device in response to commands from the network.